BASIS attrition after middle school- why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Relevance? Right, the Blocks founded BASIS in Arizona to give their children a more rigorous public middle school option than was available locally. But that was 30 years ago. The franchise has since morphed into a major charter player in half a dozen states.

Oh good, another BASIS thread that gets hijacked into an inane, naval gazing discussion about the Blocks and evil charter industrial complex. NO. ONE. CARES. Parents are trying to get their kids the best education they can. They evaluate schools on the basis of that school and what it offers as against other available options. Please go away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because these parents didn't plan ahead as well as they could have. If you want to raise your kids East of Rock Creek, you need a MS and HS contingency plan. If you can't afford private or parochial school and don't get into BASIS or one of the Latins, or don't like them, or they don't work out for you, what's the plan?

We hoped for the best at BASIS but youngest, but she miserable there. Academics weren't the problem - she found the work rather easy. There were too many disruptive classmates, too many iffy young teachers, and not nearly enough joy of learning or fun. She missed studying her ES immersion language at school (which we speak at home) and didn't make friends. We've moved to Arlington for the time being, where she enjoys public school again. We've kept our DC place and will return when we can.

For all of the things BASIS doesn't offer or could do better, this one doesn't track. It is a pure lottery admission school so of course they will take all comers. Sometimes that means kids with challenges and those who are incapable of doing the work. Those kids will wash out in 6th. But the idea that disruptions at BASIS are severe as compared to other DC school options is empirically laughable. As many BASIS critics frequently observe, the school has a very low at-risk and ESL population. It also enjoys some of the bets test scores in the city.

None of this is to say BASIS doesn't have disruptive kids; it is a public school that can't expel kids except in extreme cases of violence. If you find BASIS's population disruptive then please avoid DCPS and all other charters and just move on to private school.

PP didn't compare BASIS disruptions to those at other DC public schools (they moved to VA). Come on, disruptive kids do their thing at BASIS for an obvious reason. Too many of the middle school classes are taught by inexperienced young teachers with poor classroom management skills, due to high turnover, weak training/support and challenging working conditions/pay. This is a common parent complaint about BASIS DC, vs. a "laughable" complaint. Things get much better on the classroom management front as the years go by, but every family isn't going to roll with the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, because these parents didn't plan ahead as well as they could have. If you want to raise your kids East of Rock Creek, you need a MS and HS contingency plan. If you can't afford private or parochial school and don't get into BASIS or one of the Latins, or don't like them, or they don't work out for you, what's the plan?

We hoped for the best at BASIS but youngest, but she miserable there. Academics weren't the problem - she found the work rather easy. There were too many disruptive classmates, too many iffy young teachers, and not nearly enough joy of learning or fun. She missed studying her ES immersion language at school (which we speak at home) and didn't make friends. We've moved to Arlington for the time being, where she enjoys public school again. We've kept our DC place and will return when we can.

For all of the things BASIS doesn't offer or could do better, this one doesn't track. It is a pure lottery admission school so of course they will take all comers. Sometimes that means kids with challenges and those who are incapable of doing the work. Those kids will wash out in 6th. But the idea that disruptions at BASIS are severe as compared to other DC school options is empirically laughable. As many BASIS critics frequently observe, the school has a very low at-risk and ESL population. It also enjoys some of the bets test scores in the city.

None of this is to say BASIS doesn't have disruptive kids; it is a public school that can't expel kids except in extreme cases of violence. If you find BASIS's population disruptive then please avoid DCPS and all other charters and just move on to private school.

PP didn't compare BASIS disruptions to those at other DC public schools (they moved to VA). Come on, disruptive kids do their thing at BASIS for an obvious reason. Too many of the middle school classes are taught by inexperienced young teachers with poor classroom management skills, due to high turnover, weak training/support and challenging working conditions/pay. This is a common parent complaint about BASIS DC, vs. a "laughable" complaint. Things get much better on the classroom management front as the years go by, but every family isn't going to roll with the problem.

Yawn. Another lazy post about inexperienced teachers. From another poster who doesn't understand that DC residents are choosing between DC school options.

[Anonymous]

Only they’re not because any of us can move to the near DC burbs in a pinch. This means that a good suburban middle school is an option we can in fact choose. Renting in the burbs maybe, but move we can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only they’re not because any of us can move to the near DC burbs in a pinch. This means that a good suburban middle school is an option we can in fact choose. Renting in the burbs maybe, but move we can.

Chef's kiss. No notes.

[Anonymous]

No idea what that means, but our ed leaders clearly agree that we could all move, and that we're welcome to. They throw us a bone with bare-bones charters like Latin and BASIS offering more rigor than DCPS middle schools and most high schools. That's it. They won't even consider giving us suburban style middle schools with good facilities, strong arts and sports programs, and academic tracking across core subjects by 8th grade. The problem is political.

[Anonymous]

The people deriding bare-bones charters with terrible facilities and teachers are not mentioning that DC has some gorgeous high schools with awesome facilities and extra-curricular programs. Dunbar is beautiful. Same for Eastern. Gee, what about those schools could be different than what the big bad charters have?

[Anonymous]

So you agree with PP above that the problem is fundamentally political.

I don't care for how BASIS is the best we can do for our most academic preteens and teens in the public school system east of Rock Creek. We found their ms depressing, with ridiculously top-down management and less challenging and inspiring academics than expected.

If your family loves it, if your children thrive there, good for you.

[Anonymous]

[img]

Anonymous wrote:So you agree with PP above that the problem is fundamentally political.

I don't care for how BASIS is the best we can do for our most academic preteens and teens in the public school system east of Rock Creek. We found their ms depressing, with ridiculously top-down management and less challenging and inspiring academics than expected.

If your family loves it, if your children thrive there, good for you.

So then where did you send your kids to MS?

[Anonymous]

Had a great experience at Eliot-Hine. Academically rigorous, small school population. Not as many ECs for non-sporty types, but a small complaint.

Really impressed with the Eastern HS open house, and what I know from families who go there. They offer a full IB program instead of AP (though they do have 2 AP classes) and all students can take IB classes a la carte if they don’t want to do the IB diploma. They are more invested in IB program than Banneker and strive to make it available to all students which is much more inclusive approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you agree with PP above that the problem is fundamentally political.

I don't care for how BASIS is the best we can do for our most academic preteens and teens in the public school system east of Rock Creek. We found their ms depressing, with ridiculously top-down management and less challenging and inspiring academics than expected.

If your family loves it, if your children thrive there, good for you.

This is such a dumb phrase. All schools have principals and curriculum set by Central. Same in NoVa as well.

[Anonymous]

Which suburban middle schools ban PTAs, incorporated PAs AND unionized teachers? Um, the BASIS franchise wil not countenance any of them. them. Moreover, the current HoS is far more controlling than the two we dealt with before him.

[Anonymous]

Seems like a good thing.

Maybe that is one reason that BASIS DC is so highly ranked in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[img]

Anonymous wrote:So you agree with PP above that the problem is fundamentally political.

I don't care for how BASIS is the best we can do for our most academic preteens and teens in the public school system east of Rock Creek. We found their ms depressing, with ridiculously top-down management and less challenging and inspiring academics than expected.

If your family loves it, if your children thrive there, good for you.

So then where did you send your kids to MS?

LOL. Of course PP won't answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like a good thing.

Maybe that is one reason that BASIS DC is so highly ranked in DC.

As they say, proof is in the pudding.